Transfiguration and Us

 Transfiguration and You

The Transfiguration and Us ( You)

This well -known event probably occured on Mount Hermon---- snowy and gigantic. Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us of this event. Luke alone mentions the ascent for the reason to pray. His (Jesus')face shone as the sun (Matthew) & his garments were glittering ( Mark ) & white as the light ( Luke). Heavenly visitors were present, Moses and Elijah in the cloud that descended. A voice came out of the cloud saying," This is my beloved Son ( Jesus): hear Him." (Luke 9:35)

Luke does not use the word transfigured as do Matthew and Mark, but a different word heteros, meaning of a different kind. His face was altered. I think basically we all know about the Transfiguration in some way having heard a few messages on it in our Christian lives. I see an application to believers.

Christians too experience a change of face , an alteration of nature at conversion. In one sense that is their transfiguration. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ," if any man be in Christ , he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold , all things are new." Vs 21 says Christ was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righeousness of God in Him. The old phrase born twice, die once and born once, die twice applies here. We must be born from above, born again to have eternal life. There is a change of heart, and we are no longer " come into condemation; but ( is ) passed from death to life." Jn 5:24

The world needs this message and we need the encouragement to know we are now" the sons of God...when he shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." I Jn 3:2 " The world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not." I Jn 3:1 2 Corinthians 3 says that the vail has been taken away when someone turns to the Lord....we all, with" open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

 It is about growing closer to God to hear the voice on the mount of God being well pleased in our words, actions and thoughts. " For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish : To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life." 2 Cor 2:16

We have been " quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins" Eph 2 and " we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1 and today we must " work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2 Ours is the kingdom of heaven and we are among those who are blessed being poor in spirit. Mt 5

We speak the truth in love to those who are without God in this world. " The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all , apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowleding of the truth" 2 Timothy 2:25

Dr Lloyd Jones said it this way, " If people are unkind and cruel and spiteful, and if we are being persecuted,...we must say to ourselves, Ah, unhappy people; they are doing this because they do not know Him, and they do not understand me."

And further, " There is a sense in which we commit ourselves to God once and forever; there is another sense in which we have to do it every day...Here is a day which is going to bring me certain problems and difficulties; very well, I shall need God's grace to help me. I know God will make all grace to abound, He will be with me according to my need---' as thy days , so shall thy strength be.' " Lloyd Jones

We too wish to hear one day the voice out of the cloud, " This is my beloved ( Son) child of God." Luke 9 The The Christian life is a time where can commit or re-commit as needed ourselves to God through faith, and " fasting and extraordinary acts and exercises of devotion." 1928 Book of Common Prayer

Maturity in the Christian life and its stages I John 2:12-14

 Different Maturity in the Christian Life  I John 2:12-14

   We see three different stages of spiritual pilgrimage here.  They are all in the Father.  Here John wants to reassure his readers that he does not doubt the validity of their Christian faith; he wants to encourage them.  Our Lord said in Mark 4:28 " first the blade, then the ear , after that the full corn in the ear..."

1. The Word has been planted in the heart.  It has taken root in good soil. " the man who hears the Word, and understands it, and brings forth much fruit." Mt. 13  

John calls this " little children".  " I am writing to you little children , because your sins have been forgiven for His name's sake." 2:12  (forgiven is in the perfect tense , have been & remain forgiven) .   

These are new born in Christ.  Jn 6:44 " No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him"

2 words for children in Christ- teknia to bring forth parent-child relationship & paidia- to train  Jn 3:6 " that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you that you must be born again"

Acts 4:12 " Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved"

13c -" they have come to know the Father"

John Newton says this state is one of desire.  Romans 8:15 "  For you did not receive a Spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption

We may want to call it Confidence- Dan De Haan  " The God You Can Know" talks about the rough water in Mk 4:35-41 for the disciples.  " You of all people should have faith . If you are secure in your position in Christ , that will always produce calmness in the midst of calamity"  ( a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that is was now full")

2.  Young men- Conflict.   " I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome ( perfect tense again) the wicked one" 2:13   

Busy in the battle of Christian living.

--5:4-5  " For everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God"

They were the young men who were experiencing spiritual victory because  2:14b " the Word of God is presently abiding in you, and continuing to abide in you , and you have overcome the evil one"

Ps 119 :9-11 " How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy Word.  

With my whole heart have I sought thee: Do not let me wander from Thy commandments.

Thy Word have I treasured in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."

People need a lot of encouragement in this stage, and need to remember which kingdom they are in when discouraged.  Romans 8:35  They will never be separated from the love of Christ.

They need perseverance.   Realizing they are on the right road, they do not lose heart.

3.  Lastly, fathers.  2:15 " know Him from the beginning"

They possess the depth and stability of ripe Christian experience.

Contemplation may be the right word for this stage.

John Newton, " He is much stronger because he has more feeling and a constant sense of his own weakness...His heart has deceived him so often, that he is now in a good measure weaned from trusting to it; therefore he does not meet with so many disappointments...thus he is strong, not in himself, but in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

He /She has humility and submission to the will of God & tenderness of spirit toward his fellow Christians .  His spirituality trust in the Lord ; circumstances do not shake him.  2:15   " Do not love the world, or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him"

Fathers produce children.  They are self-less and secure enough to "grow others up."  

---not men who are supersaints, but men who understand and know God.  ( not like the average person who spend much of their time in either watching someone else perform or reading about them...their lives are a by product of what they have seen the most)

If you are secure in your position in Christ, that will always produce calmess in the midst of adversity. Dan De Haan

" Time hurries on, but in all generations (fathers) find a refuge in Him who from everlasting to everlasting is God. They are already consciously living in eternity." Stott

Conclusion- First the blade, then the head, and then the mature grain.  We may struggle between the stages , and re-enter them back and forth, but God wants us to reach new goals and levels of maturity in our growth.  

But whatever difficulty you are in, remember little children your sins are forgiven for His name's sake and you know the Father.  

I John 2:7-11--- The Love Test Begins

 I John 2:7-11  The Love Test Begins 

    As you remember I think I said that as we go through I John,  we will see the Apostle John reminds us three times of what they are--the tests of eternal life, so he repeats himself as any good teacher does.  In other words, he knows we need to be reminded because we too soon forget the love of God --- in His Son Jesus Christ.  The new commandment he speaks of is not new at all but what we heard from the beginning of our Christian lives.  3:11 describes it: " For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning , that we should love one another".

How did your Christian life begin?  I know I needed and still need a lot of help as I began mine and continue it.  I needed to know the gospel, that God in Christ reconciles us to Himself and that we can be born from above, or born again.  The old has passed away & all things have become new.  Christianity is not a set of rules and laws.  It is a relationship of love and trust with Him who gave Himself for us and now He lives in us.  

1. John addresses his children in I John 2:7 as Brethren or Beloved in other translations of this.  Some of us , actually all of us, need encouragement as we are battered by the world's systems of evil, and its attempts at wrecking our lives and the lives of our families.  

We too are recipients of His love.  " Behold , what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us , that we should be called the sons ( children) of God." In America we value liberty, and we are known by it all over the world.  In Christ we are valued and loved not because of what we have done, but because His love has been bestowed upon us! Somehow we forget that and just as Adam and Eve hid in the garden we too hide from God and His powerful love.  We don't think we are worthy of it.  Well we are not but we are in Christ and have His grace and love .  

What a wonderful gift that we can not earn or deserve...somehow we forget that now that we are in Him, we are truly free in Christ to serve and love others as well as we have been loved.

2. Secondly John encourages us to be on the right path which is love and not darkness. Walk in His light is to walk in love.   John Stott in his wonderful commentary on I John explains vs 10 " He that loves his brother abides in the light. But he that hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness."

Note what he says in vs. 11 " darkness has blinded his eyes."  Stott says, " If we love people, we see how to avoid sinning against them. The man with hatred in his heart ,however, because he is in darkness, also walks in darkness.  Hatred distorts our perspective.  ...It is love which sees straight, thinks clearly and makes us balanced in our outlook, judgments and conduct."  Jesus said in John 8:12 " I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness,but shall have the light of life."

Somehow we are not applying this light in our own relationships and lives.  Stott says it , " We do not first misjudge people and then hate them as a result; our view of them is already jaundiced by our hatred."  Cambridge dictionary- "judging everything as bad because bad things have happened to you in the past"

3. Lastly, how do we apply this lesson for today?

Well take some simple steps.  If you or I have a negative opinion of someone or something, take a few steps back, and ask why?  Is it really justified,  or did something irritate you or I that made me feel that way about it?  Or what really happened ?  As one of my former Army Commanders said to me on several occasions, " Peel the onion".

Is there a way to fix this ?  Well, of course forgiveness ( acting on something or someone now as that past action did not happen that was so bad?)  Guess what. We all need to forgive and be forgiven every day.

We are to know and apply what John said in his gospel to us:" Love one another as I have loved you"  13:34

Conclusion- I came across the " Missionary's I Corinthians 13 ( are we not all missionaries to others as Christians?)

" If I have the language perfectly and speak like a native, have not His love for them, I am nothing.  If I have diplomas and degrees and know all the up-to -date methods, and have not His touch of understanding love I am nothing.

If I am able to argue successfully against the religions of the people and make fools of them, and have not His wooing note, I am nothing.  If I have all faith and great ideas and magnificent plans, and not His love that sweats and bleeds and weeps and prays and pleads, I am nothing.

If I give up my clothes and money to them, and have not His love for them, I am nothing.  If I surrender all prospects, leave home and friends, make the sacrifices of a missionary career, and turn sour and selfish amid the daily annoyances and slights of a missionary life, and have not the love that yields its rights, its leisures, its pet plans, I am nothing. Virtue has ceased to out of me.  

If I can heal all manner of sickness and disease, but wound hearts and hurt feelings for want of His love that is kind, I am nothing.  If I can write articles or publish books that win applause, but fail to transcribe the Word of the Cross into the language of His love, I am nothing. "

Amen.

The first test!

 I John 2:2-6

  We need to visit the good news in I John 2:2 before moving on in the Epistle series.  Not a verse to skip!!!( I remembered while I was working on this series the vs in Hebrews about Moses---the , :"By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25He chose to suffer oppression with God’s people rather than to experience the fleeting enjoyment of sin. 26He valued disgrace for Christ above the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his reward.…" Berean Bible)

2:2 "And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our sins only , but also for the sins of the whole world"

"Sometimes it only takes one person to hold your hand to remind you that everything is going to be ok"  --- Roger Lee ( thank you to my fb friend who shared this on Thursday )

Advocate in orig language means 'called alongside' especially in the courts of the law. He pleads the cause of the person on trial as counsel for the defense!  Matlock , better than!  Better than Perry Mason or that guy who has the big billboards to defend you from the 18 wheeler accidents.

The Righteous and He is the Propitiation for our sins...two important words we need if we are going to go to heaven.  

What a great encouragement!!!

----Today point 1 is in vs 3 ---the 1st application of the tests or the moral/obedience test.  ( in the outline I gave out)

" And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments" 2:3

The word is in the present tense keep= " If we are keeping His commandments"  This means watchful, observant obedience, not perfect obedience .  Calvin- if we are " forming our life in obedience to God"

John Stott said it this way " NO RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE IS VALID IF IT DOES NOT HAVE MORAL CONSEQUENCES"

Titus 1:16 says ," They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him."

vs 4 John hits it out of the park, "  The one who says, ' I have come to know Him and does not keep His cmdts is a liar, and the truth is not in him"

Self check- what commandment are we habitually breaking?  Is it putting God first?  Do not covet?  Love you neighbor as yourself?  Anger?  Work takes priority over home, family and God????

Vs 5-  tells us that if we are forming our lives in obedience to God that our love for God has been perfected.

The proof of love for God is loyalty Mt 21:28-31  The man had two sons and which one was faithful????

vs 6.   He that says He abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. 

  In His Steps This is the inspirational novel that popularized the expression, What Would Jesus Do? Written by a Congregational minister, it tells of four prominent members of a small town who resolve to undertake no action without first considering Christ's example. Originally published in 1897, it continues to speak to modern readers  by Charles Sheldon

I Peter 2: 21, 22 is a complementary vs.   " For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an ex. for you to follow in His steps

Conclusion----How do we fare on John's first test?  2:3  Are we forming our lives in obedience to God?  This comes from the Bible.  How well do we know the standards we are to keep?

I John 2:1-2 Cleansing and forgiveness lead to a holy life

 Falling at the Feet of Jesus is our Recognition of our Need of Cleansing

I John 2:1-2- We read this together so we may understand what John is saying now. I John 1:9 is helpful that we know that we need confession and God is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The best illustration of John's thoughts in the beginning of his letter in ch. 2 may be the woman in the Gospel,  I read in Luke 7:36 in the morning reading on Friday of last week.  She fell at the feet of Jesus and her tears were many at her need of cleansing and forgiveness .  Christians need this as well every day of the week. Sin does break our fellowship with God John tells us.  We are all born into the world as sinners John confirms and no one is untouched by sin.  

The Greek word sin could be translated as not hitting the target.  The Presbyterian/reformed children's catechism gives us many ideas about our original sin , and the need of seeing that we are in danger as we violate God's laws and commandments.  Adam did not keep the covenant of works q. 27, and it says in the answer that he " sinned against God."

1. 

I am encouraged that John addresses the people in his letter as " my little children" , and our first point can be that even though we sin we are not out of salvation or Christ.  We are His children by faith---our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ 1:4.

Some of us have arrived not at perfection as we do not have that in this life,  but we do have a road to heaven eternally by faith in His Son.  That is not earned or deserved ---but it is by His grace we are enabled to have faith , and one day we will be with Him forever rejoicing in His presence and in the fulness of joy.  Here we still struggle because of our lack of faith and in the flesh .

So as we have begun in Christ in whatever earthly year of our salvation when we believed and trusted in Him alone for salvation, we can be encouraged John the Apostle calls us His children.  I like that.  I need that encouragement. Do you?

2.   " I am writing these things unto you, that you sin not."  That is our goal John says.  We miss the target because we sin but we should have a goal , and to not sin should be it.

Law the commentator says , " horror, hatred, fear, repudiation of sin pervade the whole Epistle."

There should be a balance in our attitude as we know we sin and we cannot totally avoid it...but that is what confession is for.  We continue to work at being godly and holy , but that is a tough road in the world.

We as we said in point should have a child-like faith in Christ.  " a few years ago a passenger ship made its way toward the harbor at Plymouth, England.   The weather had been good so they were ahead of schedule.  They would arrive at night instead of morning and they had to make unexpected hotel reservations because of that.  The little children on board did not worry for a moment.  They continued to run, laugh and play ----unaffected by altered plans. Why were they so calm?  They had faith in the wisdom and love of their parents."

Remember John's evidences of eternal life ?  2:28-29 Practice righteousness 2.  3:18 duty of love and 3. Confess faith in the eternal Son Jesus 2:23

These three evidences are to be shining in our lives as God Himself too is light.  Ephesians 1:4 says that we were chosen before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him .  Gal 1:4 says He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us out of this present evil age.

Titus 2:14 echoes this too " who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed"

Hebrews 12:14 should wake us up too," Pursue peace with all men, and a holy life, for without that no-one will see the Lord."

Jerry Bridges , The Pursuit of Holiness translates this vs, " Make it your aim not to sin"   He asks this pertinent question, "  Can you imagine a Soldier going into battle with aim of ' not getting hit very much'?  The very suggestion is ridiculous.  His aim is not to get hit at all!  Yet if we have not made a commitment to holiness without exception , we are like a Soldier going into battle with the aim of not getting hit very much."

Jonathan Edwards made resolutions, "  Resolved , never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life."

Zechariah 8:17 says God hates sin. "  Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate declares the Lord."   so everytime we sin we are doing something God hates.

We should look at the attitude of Joseph in Genesis 39:9, " How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?"  ( despite the advances of Potiphar's wife)

3.  Lastly when we sin , forgiveness and restoration is possible. 

" And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous..."

Advocate is paraclete in greek, called alongside, the defense lawyer

I Jn3:5 " ...in Him there is no sin"

He is the propitiation for our sins---the sacrifice .  1:7 the blood of Jesus Christ.

" Our Advocate does not plead that we are innocent.  ..or adduce extenuating circumstances..He acknowledges our guilt and presents His vicarious work as the ground of our acquittal"  John Stott

Forgiveness and restoration are possible.  Psalm 103:8-14  " As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us"

I conclude with an illustration from Corrie Ten Boom while speaking in Munich, a former prison guard came up to her after the session, " How grateful I am foryour message Fraulein. To think that Jesus has washed my sins away" 

 Corrie" As I took his hand, the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart a love that almost overwhelmed me"

Amen.

July 4

 July 4 Weekend.  

  The date is so important our nation observes it almost religiously and even some Churches have special events as well as their Order of Service includes it as a special day .  I agree it is very important so the lessons we read today describe what one Church thought it should be about on July 4.  

Certainly the Galatians reading is easy to relate to with the word freedom being used in today's passage.  The Deuteronomy and Matthew passages are more difficult to see but they too relate to being new people and having God's outlook on situations .

In Deuteronomy we read of statutes and laws that God has given to bless the land that Israel was going into.  The people will be happy and blessed if they follow God's directions.  14: 6-7 describes that they are wisdom and understanding and observing them will distinguish Israel from other nations ."  Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for" This is America as well .  We had and still have a religious origin.The Pilgrims came here to worship and celebrate God in their tradition outside of the Church in England that demanded a certain way of worship and belief.

I recommend America- The Last Best Hope by William Bennett that talks about why the Mayflower Compact was signed in New England.   Religion was the reason they came to America from Holland. ( the English who had already left England for Holland's more compromising liberty in religion)

2.  The Galatians reading takes us straight into the heart of the Gospel which is a Gospel of the heart, not of works of the law.  Paul the Apostle called out the Judaizing teachers. 

" These teachers were going forth superemphasizing that certain rites and ceremonies were necessary to salvation.  Judaism!  Yes , in other words, these Gentile Christians especially were being told, ' Yes, you can be a Christian , but you must go through the Jewish gateway and submit yourself to the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish faith'...In other words, salvation was  dependent not fully , not only, upon faith , but upon rites and ceremonies" from The Unfolding Message of the Bible G. Campbell Morgan

" Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free" 5"1

3.  Lastly we are called to a law of love in the expression of our liberty in Christ.  The Gospel as well as Galatians talks about the fruit of the Spirit 5:22 " Through love be servants one to another" 5:13

The Christian will meditate on these things in the words of Matthew to love those who are enemies of the Gospel. If you only love those who love you, what grace do you have Matthew asks?  Basically you are and I are doing only as the world is doing.  Scratch my back and I will scratch yours.

In illustration of the liberty and freedom we have and are celebrating on this weekend I remembered 1776 by David Mc Cullough who wrote of how George Washington did not give up in pursuit of the liberty we now enjoy.

" Each man seemed to vie with each other in pressing forward" Washington wrote on that Christmas attack in New Jersey where they took about 900 Hessians prisoners. 

Washington despite the weather, the lack of shoes for his Soldiers and the lack of other equipment , being outnumbered , he did not give up the fight for freedom and liberty.

We too should not give up the battle for Christian liberty and love in the God of the Scriptures despite the devil being very busy in our culture.

The hymn we sing today summarizes our celebration of God and His Independence in Christ.  Katherine Bates an English teacher at a Colorado wrote this hymn America the Beautiful while staying at a hotel in the early 1900's : O great for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness.

America! America!

God mend thine ev'ry flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law."  I especially like this verse which is theme of today's message.  We have liberty in Christ and should stand fast in that liberty but express our liberty in law and love.  This is the hope for our nation today.  Those who need it the most are the ones who demonstrate in lawlessness and lack of love.  We are called to discuss things with them to let them know we are free in Christ and they can be too if they would trust in Him and His providence.  

The Question of Sin I John 1:5-10

 The Question of Sin I John 1:5-10

   If the Church and our lives are to mean anything they must reflect the light and glory of God.  We are to be like Christ.  Romans 8:29  " For whom He foreknew He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son"  

God is light.  John 1:4 and Jesus is the light of men.  Heaven is that way . Rev. 21:23  "  And the city had no need of the sun ....for the the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof"

The troublers there were arguing that their behavior did not matter. " he , that hates his brother is walking in darkness"  I John 2:11  We are to " do all things without grumbling or disputing...among whom you appear as lights in the world."  Philippians 2 :14

Here is an illustration about light:  " If the sun shines on a dull brick or stone, they reflect none of its beams...there is nothing in them capable of this, nor is there in an ungodly man any natural power of reflecting the light of God.  But let the light shine upon a diamond, and see what rays of sparkling beauty it emits..  Just so the Christian who has the graces of the Spirit , when God shines on his soul, beams of celestial loveliness are reflected by him on the world." 

1. The Apostle's Message.  Sin breaks our fellowship with God.  1:6-7 

" If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie.."

Last week we saw how the message of eternal life produces a joyous fellowship---but a word of warning.  What we say must match what we do.

  a.  walking in darkness, present tense, habitually we are lying and we have no fellowship with God.  Not just sin, but the practice of sin.

2:11 says the darkness has blinded the eyes.  Unconfessed sin = no fellowship with God.  Ps. 66:18 " If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear"

Isaiah 59:2 " But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hid His face from you, so that He does not hear"

1:6 we are living a lie that is not consistent with our profession.  

"   A man's verbal profession is not necessarily to be believed.  It must be tested both in itself, in its relation to the fundamental truth that God is light, and its bearing upon his behavior."  Stott

b.  vs 7 But those walking in the light the result is fellowship, unity or koinonia.  " The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin"

cleanse here is catharsis, gk " to purify"

God erases the sin that would break our fellowship with Him or each other if we walk in the light.

2.  Sin exists in our nature.  1:8

  Misleading others, leading them astray, the troublers in the church went one step beyond.  They had been saying with their untruth that sin did not keep one apart from God.  Now they denied sin altogether!

" If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves , and the truth is not in us"

John Newton used to say that whatever else he might forget he remembered 2 things.  1st that he was a great sinner, and second that Jesus Christ was a great Saviour.

3.  Sin shows itself in our conduct.

Vs. 10 If we say that we have not sinned ( perfect tense)  we make him a liar , and his word is not in us.

Psalm 14:3 in the OT recognized it.  " They are all gone aside...there is none that does good, no not one.

Isaiah 64:6 ; 53:6

The Conclusion is in vs 9 for us.   If we confess (present tense) our sins , God is faithful ( aorist) and just to forgive us our sins.  

2 Tim 2:13 " He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself"

His justice demands that the sinner appear before Him cleansed.  Romans 3:25

Read Ps 32:1-5 and pray about specific sin that keeps you apart from God, confess it to Him , and receive the cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ His Son.